


The Big Old House Miles From Town

by thebittermountain



Series: And They Shine With The Light Of Other Worlds [1]
Category: Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: (sort of; better safe than sorry), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen, Genderfluid Edmund Pevensie, Gossip, Nonbinary Character, Period Typical Attitudes, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism, Small Towns, The Pevensies as Small Gods, nonbinary Edmund Pevensie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-13 23:45:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16902057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebittermountain/pseuds/thebittermountain
Summary: Somewhere in rural Yorkshire, there is a large, old house, the source of many interesting and strange tales. The family that lives there bears the name of Pevensie





	The Big Old House Miles From Town

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [all things live forever (though at times they sleep and are forgotten)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14636256) by [aletterinthenameofsanity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aletterinthenameofsanity/pseuds/aletterinthenameofsanity). 
  * Inspired by [Reverentia](https://archiveofourown.org/works/682336) by [wicked_little_thing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wicked_little_thing/pseuds/wicked_little_thing). 



There is, in the north of England, miles from any large town, but equidistant from the many villages surrounding it, a very large old house. The house isn’t really that old—in fact, your great-great-grandparents may remember when it was built—but it’s old enough. Old enough for mysteries and folklore to grow up around it.

You see, the Professor’s Manor—or The House as it is more commonly called—may be established in the countryside now, but it has always had a strangeness attached to it. It was built at a time when almost no one was building houses or buying things, during a slump that started after the Great War and continued through the collapse of the global economy that you have likely learned of in your history class—the Great Depression.

Everyone was saving money and counting pennies—but not the Professor. No, he and his lady friend bought up a plot of land being sold off from a larger property. The people of the local villages had no end of curiosity—and not a little bit of judgement—about this mysterious couple, but their disapproval was tempered by the employment they provided. As you might imagine, there were quite a few questions considering their unmarried state and the many purchases that arrived at the nearest village with a train station.

Still, over time, they became established and their neighbors became possessive of them. Professor Kirke and Miss Plummer were “their” eccentrics. No one would hear of them ever being forced out. The House became only further entrenched when Miss Plummer hired Pretoria Bartram on Professor Kirke’s behalf as a housekeeper. Much to everyone’s frustration, Pretoria refused to discuss her employers, even at her wedding. Nonetheless, her position did much to further establish The House in the surrounding countryside.

That is why, when during the Blitz children were sent to The House, no one was too surprised or worried. Though they were certainly curious. Many of them wondered what these city-raised children would make of The House and its lands. For its plants and animals were in no way usual for Yorkshire, England. From pomegranate and olive trees to lions and swans, the lands of The House looked more like Greece than England. But, then, thought its neighbors in a manner that may be familiar to you, city people often have no knowledge of what is normal for the countryside, just as those of the countryside may know little of cities.

Much to the disappointment of all, the children seemed at first to be all quite uniformly dull and unobservant, and nothing interesting or particularly dangerous occurred. It wasn’t until many months later, when most of the children had long returned to their homes in London that strange happenings provided food for gossip.

It began with the animals and creatures that lurked in the woods and hills around The House. Not only did the whispers of such legendary beings as dryads, satyrs, and minotaurs grow louder, four slightly more ordinary animals appeared in more frequency. Martha Williams claimed she saw a lion while out on a stroll with her sweetheart, but almost everyone believed she had misidentified a large feral cat. On the other hand, when the baker’s wife Millicent Powell complained of an overly curious crow (or raven—she wasn’t sure which) with frankly unnerving intelligence, it gave everyone a turn. Compounding that scare was the wolf lurking around the villages and howling far too close at night, though there never were any substantiated attacks. But the peacock was the catalyst for suspicion. They were far from native, and everyone knew peahens were rather drab. Still, the Vicar Philip Spencer in Cawthorne kept claiming a peahen with the coloring of a cock was poking about the church. He even took a photograph and had it colored for proof, though it didn’t convince everyone.

Along with the oddness of the local wildlife, it became common knowledge that four of the London children—all siblings—had stayed when Pretoria Bartram, now Pretoria Macready, let something slip at market. However, no one could agree on anything other than the number of children, not even their names. Most of Cawthorne was convinced that there were three boys and a girl, named Paul, Sarah, Emanuel, and Levi. Densington, on the other hand, was primarily of the opinion there were three girls and a boy, named Percival, Solange, Edmonde, and Lucette. But Meldourne Hill argued instead that there were two girls and two boys, named Philip, Sophia, Edward, and Laura. Then, though, Tyersdale thought the older two were a boy and a girl but couldn’t agree on the younger two. They suggested Peter and Suzanne, with Eddie and Leo as nicknames for the younger two. And this wasn’t even counting the smaller surrounding villages. All this discussion certainly made tea time much more interesting for a while.

A solid consensus never was reached, but slowly, everyone simply once again became used to the strangeness of The House. Eventually, the children were returned to their parents, no one ever having let on the knowledge of their first names, though somehow absolutely everyone knew their surname was Pevensie.

 

The relative peace was once again livened up not even two years later when the eldest Pevensie returned to study with Professor Kirke. He actually dared Cawthorne this time, to speak to Vicar Spencer about theology, and so his name was revealed to be Peter. Tyersdale was much vindicated, encouraging everyone else to desperately wish they would be crushed in the annual rugby tournament hosted at The House.

Funnily enough, at the same time, everyone noticed that a certain wolf was no longer around. But of course, there couldn’t possibly be a connection, so the odd timing was promptly forgotten. Peter Pevensie, on the other hand, was the talk of the towns. He was a very handsome young man, everyone agreed, with his golden hair, light brown eyes, muscled build, and slight tan. As if aware of his allure, Peter was very careful not to give any special attention to the young ladies his age, instead dancing attendance on Miss Plummer and the other unmarried older ladies, who were all very flattered by his mannerly behavior and sincere compliments. All except Miss Plummer, but everyone knew she was rather too sarcastic for polite company. Still, she seemed to like young Mr. Pevensie nonetheless. As much as anyone could tell, that is.

Not even a full year later, the entire Pevensie clan descended upon The House, apparently to bid young Peter goodbye before he went off to war. Mr. and Mrs. Pevensie were quite lovely people, everyone agreed, but rather ordinary and uneventful next to their children.

Susan Pevensie, the eldest daughter, caused as much of a stir among the young men of that region of Yorkshire as her brother had among the young women. Her black hair, dark brown eyes, snow-white skin, and seemingly effortless elegant poise were, all the women agreed enviously, utterly stunning. Thankfully, Miss Pevensie, much like her brother, spent time around those who wouldn’t be inclined to take advantage of her attractions. Unlike her brother, there were some interesting rumors about Susan, ones your parents might not approve of me relating to you, especially if you are under a certain age. Suffice it to say, Susan Pevensie was certainly an interesting character, and everyone quickly realized they had nothing to worry about in regard to her returning the affections of any of the local young men.

The younger pair of Pevensies were just as interesting and gossip-worthy as their elder sister and brother, but in a much less disruptive manner. Young Edmund Pevensie was a child of few words, but endless curiosity. By the end of the Pevensie visit, most everyone would swear that Edmund knew the entire region—and its people—by heart. The young Pevensie, along with exploring the entire countryside, was frequently accompanied by a large black bird of unusual intelligence. Despite that, more than once, someone was given quite the fright, having forgotten Edmund’s presence until the child asked a question.

Little Lucy Pevensie, on the other hand, was the complete opposite to the dark, quiet, and solemn Edmund. The little Miss Pevensie was all color and light, from her warm red hair and blue eyes to her always cheerful nature and endless flow of words. Some people, particularly the villagers of Densington, where the younger two Pevensie were found most often outside of The House, wondered if the reason for Edmund’s “disappearances” was merely being overshadowed by the child’s bubbly sister, who was rarely separated from Edmund. However, Lucy’s sunshiny nature wasn’t the only reason she attracted attention and smiles. Often she could be found in a sunny meadow, dozing or reading, and any errand she was on could be completely disrupted by the sight of a cat, which she would unfailingly pet and coo over.

Needless to say, more than a few people were sad to see the Pevensies leave. Even in their short time there, they had become as much a part of the landscape as Professor Kirke and Miss Plummer. Still, plenty of parents and sweethearts were relieved that Susan and Peter left no broken hearts behind.

 

But as time went on, the Pevensies—minus their parents—continued to return. Most frequently, Lucy and her various friends, but Susan and Peter made their appearances as well. Edmund was the rarest visitor, but the middle Pevensie was still just as eagerly received and welcomed. Though various familiar faces cycled through along with the Pevensies, only two others became permanent parts of the landscape. Easy, a cousin of the four siblings and his best mate—whom everyone assumed was his sweetheart, though I’ll leave the correctness of that assumption up to you, dear reader—Jill Pole.

Easy was friendly, if shy and reserved compared to all his cousins but Edmund. Oddly, he never did seem to get cold. No one could ever remember seeing him in a coat during the winter. He was frequently dragged along by the more outgoing Lucy and Jill. He always had a willing ear or pair of arms for anyone who needed one.

Miss Pole…was an adjustment for that solidly rural area of Yorkshire. It wasn’t that they disapproved of her, precisely. It was more that she was decidedly outside of their realm of experience for the most part—at first. But her local accent, friendly nature, and care for all of the children quickly erased their initial shock and any misgivings at the color of her skin.

Despite their rivalries, the various towns and villages around The House could always agree on one or two things. They were possessive of their household of eccentrics: there might be gossip, there was always curiosity, and there was definitely a lot of confusion. But, that same household was woven into the land’s fabric. This truth became ever more so as the years wound on.

By the late seventies, many were convinced that The House and its people had always been there. There were, after all, now two generations who could remember nothing different than its ageless inhabitants and their peculiar flora and fauna. A sort of local folklore had begun to arise around The House.

It isn’t quite as well-known outside the bounds of northern England, but there is an understanding that if you approach the Pevensies, and ask politely, they will help you. Sometimes, they require payment, but it is never money.

That is one of The Rules. There is no final count—new ones are added every once in a while—but the major nine are the ones that every child learns:

_1\. Ask politely and sincerely. Your request will be answered_

_2\. Consider the consequences of your request. You may need to pay a price._

_3\. The fruit on the trees is free to the children, but should never be stolen_

_4\. If you step alone onto the lands of The House, be prepared for time to act oddly._

_5\. If you meet a woodland creature, don’t try to play games with them._

_6\. Don’t ask your parents to play in the woods of The House with you._

_7\. Avoid catching Miss Plummer’s attention_

_8\. Don’t hurt or abuse anyone—the Pevensies will find out_

_9\. House parties, particularly the outdoors ones, are best not joined._

There is a common assumption that most half-believe, that the Pevensies are a manner of the Fair Folk, though not native ones. Whether this is the case, dear reader, I will leave it to you to make your own conclusions.

What I will say, is there are certain customs locals have, certain lines they do not cross, and certain warnings they give any visitors. I would suggest, if you do ever find yourself in that region of Yorkshire, particularly at night, to follow their advice.

There is a reason a certain author wrote his stories the way he did. Even in this day and age, there are some entities it is just not wise to attract the attention of, nor to anger.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a new version of a story previously written under this title. I have decided to go in a slightly different direction than I originally planned with this series. Subsequent posts and edits in the series will reflect this new plan.


End file.
